


Attack on T.I.T.A.N.

by Cai (the_ruined_earth_sagelord)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Dorks in Love, Multi, all the fluffy fluff you can take, and then the hardcore bangity bang, erejean - Freeform, eremin too i guess, jeaneren - Freeform, mwahahahaha
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-01-24 06:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1595093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_ruined_earth_sagelord/pseuds/Cai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his home is burned to the ground, Eren Jaeger is forced to take residence in the Trost Family Orphanage. Some time after the incident, he is approached by people who tell him the fire that destroyed his family was no accident, and they know who is responsible. With the help of his friends, the young hunter will track down the monsters responsible for murdering his family. Will Eren lose himself to the bloodlust of revenge, to the power of the TITAN, or will love be strong enough to heal his ruined heart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Before we get into it DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters or anything related to them; they are being used herein strictly for entertainment purposes only. Hoorah. The lyrics from "Guren no Yumiya" used in the beginning are also not mine, they belong to their original creators (again, just used for artistic purposes). This is a work of fiction, obviously, however the storyline idea is entirely my own, so please give credit where credit is due, thank you and goodnight.
> 
> M'kay? Whew, boring stuff, but necessary! This Episode (as I'm calling them, true SnK style), is a little on the short side, but only because I'm testing the water with this fic idea. I really like where it's going in my head, and I hope to continue it all the way through. Please, leave any suggestions you might have to improve, I'd love to hear them!
> 
> Also, I know it might not seem like it yet, but trust me, Eren and Jean will get together. Those two blockheads are just too stubborn to do it right away, and I really want to build to it. So fear not! You shall get your lovely babies snuggling and being complete dorks together and maybe even banging it out because hey why the heck not.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

     Jean looked down at Eren’s sleeping face. He looked so much younger, so much more peaceful, when he was asleep. His lips were parted slightly, and he breathed in and out softly, in and out. Jean put his hand over Eren’s mouth, feeling the warm breath tickle his fingers. He smiled.

     _Jaeger_ , he thought, his mind playing the name over and over. _Why? Why did this happen to you? How did you end up here, like this, at this moment?_

     His hand, trembling slightly, reached down and pressed against Eren’s side. He could feel the bruises and scars and knotted muscle under the loose shirt the sleeping boy wore. Jean’s hand recoiled slightly when he felt the bruising, the welts. He ran his other hand through his own hair, rubbing his shaved undercut at his neck.

     _Slow down there, Jean-bo_ , he thought shakily. With a start, he realized he’d called himself the nickname he pretended to hate, the name his mother called him. What had made him think of her now?

     His expression softened.

     Eren had, of course. Knowing Eren’s story somehow always made him appreciate his mother more.

     _Jaeger . . . Eren . . . What happened to you? What drove you to this?_

     Jean sighed, and lay down next to Eren, pulling himself close to the other boy’s warm body. He let the fiery thoughts die from his mind, knowing he’d never be satisfied until he could help Eren through this. Until he could ease Eren’s pain. Until he could help him destroy his enemies.

 

 

****SIND SIE DAS ESSEN?** **

**NIEN, WIR SIND DER J **Ä** EGER!**

 

Attack on T.I.T.A.N.

Episode 1: Beginnings.

 

_Five years ago . . ._

     His mother was being eaten alive. Right in front of him. Consumed by a flash of heat and an explosion of energy so intense it seemed as if the entire earth shook. The house was flattened instantly; nothing was left. His mother’s last scream still rang in his ears . . .

     “Eren!” With a rushing jolt, he suddenly snapped back into focus. The house was burning, quickly becoming a skeletal husk. He felt strong arms lift him hurriedly, throwing him over a shoulder. He was carried in such a way that he could still see the house behind him. The firelight reflected in his eyes, sparking, igniting, swallowing him whole.

     Suddenly, he screamed as comprehension slammed into him with the force of a bomb. He struggled against the firefighter carrying him away. He kicked and punched, trying to get free. “ _Mom!_ " he screamed. His voice broke. _“Momma! Mom!”"_

     “Eren, hold still! There’s nothing left, Eren; she’s gone! She’s . . . gone.”

     Eren turned his burning eyes to the firefighter, still carrying him away from the blaze. “Hannes, let me go!” he demanded, tears filling his eyes, blurring his vision. “I have to save her!” His throat burned from the tears, the shouting, the smoke.

     “Just hold on, Eren,” Hannes whispered as he reached one of the ambulances. Medics rushed over and took Eren from Hannes. The boy had slipped into unconsciousness, fortunately. The loud wailing sirens of the fire trucks and the blasts of water sprayed onto the house were loud enough to prevent anyone around Hannes hear his garbled whisper.

     “Karla . . . I won’t let them get to Eren too. I swear. I swear I’ll keep him safe from them.”

******

     _“Eren.”_

_Eren shifted in his sleep, feeling the hospital bed sheets on his skin._

_“Eren . . . I’m sorry you got involved. I never wanted this for you. You or your mother. Please, Eren forgive me.”_

_Eren’s eyes fluttered open. He found it hard to breathe. Someone was clamping their hand over his mouth, stopping him from crying out for a nurse. He panicked. His eyes widened in horror. He screamed into the man’s strong hand. He sobbed. He bit. He lashed out with his fists. But the man didn’t seem at all fazed. He just kept mumbling to himself as he brought out a large needle._

_“Eren, I’m so sorry. This was never meant to happen to you. I wanted them to come after me, but they targeted you and your mother instead. To . . . to get to me. Damn them. But you, Eren, you have a chance. Keep living. Fight. The only way you can live, the only way to win, is to keep fighting. Use your strength. Use_ this _strength, Eren.”_

_The needle plunged into Eren’s arm. Eren screamed into the hand again, tears streaming down his face and running over the other person’s fingers. He felt unconsciousness dragging him back down, and he could barely keep his eyes open as he saw the man stand, his face passing into the light for the first time._

_Eren struggled to speak._

_“Dad . . .”_

******

     _“The house of the esteemed Dr. Grisha Jaeger burned to the ground two nights ago. Experts at the site believe the fire was accidental; however, the investigation of possible arson is ongoing. Jaeger’s wife, Karla Jaeger, was reported dead at the scene. Dr. Jaeger’s body was not found, and police say they will report him deceased as well; however, some witnesses say that Dr. Jaeger had already left his home. A small task force will be set up to search for him, if he is indeed alive. The community was shocked at the loss of their doctor, who many say was a kind man who never said no to a house call. Jaeger and his wife are survived by their ten year old son, who is in intensive care.”_

******

_Two years later . . ._

     “Well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a little bookworm freak, huh?”

     The four older teens leaned down over the frail-looking blonde boy. He stammered something about them being brainless, without the wits to understand what he was even saying to them.

     “I don’t think I like the way you talk down to me,” the biggest of them said, an ugly, leering grin plastered on his face. “You think you’re so much better than us because of the books your mommy gave you, don’t you, you little—”

     “Hey!”

     The bullies turned. Something suddenly flew at one of them, knocking him to the ground. He cried out desperately. “Get ‘im off! Get ‘im off me!”

     A boy the same age as the one with the books was savagely tearing into the older bully, punching and kicking and scratching with reckless abandon. The biggest of the four shouted angrily, pulling the smaller boy off his crony. But then the vicious punches and kicks were only directed at him instead. “Whoa, hey! Christ, man, cool it!”

     A punch landed squarely in the bully’s jaw. His eyes crossed for a second, then he shook himself up. In a daze, he let go of the smaller boy’s shirt and stumbled back. The other three grabbed him, and with murderous expressions, pulled their leader after them as they scurried out of the alley.

     The dark-haired boy panted, his fists still tightly clenched. The other, smaller boy looked up at him in awe, silently waiting for him to speak. After a moment, the boy who’d fought off the four older kids blew out a shaky breath. He slumped to the ground, hanging his head between his knees. Tiredly, he glanced at the blonde-haired boy next to him.

     “Hi,” he managed to say between gasps of breath.

     The smaller boy smiled nervously. “H-hi.” He swallowed. “Thank you for . . . for that.”

     The dark-haired boy shrugged, his eyes hooded. “It’s not the first time I’ve run onto those pricks,” he said. He glanced at the other boy’s large eyes. “Oh, sorry for the language.” He grinned. “I’m a curser.”

     The other boy shook his head. “No, it wasn’t that! Just . . . Have I seen you somewhere? I feel like I know your face from the news or something.”

     The dark-haired boy stiffened. His face darkened. “No, you must be mistaken.”

     The blonde studied the boy who’d saved him. Then he shrugged. “It’s okay, I don’t need to know. Sometimes we need to throw away old parts of ourselves to make way for new things. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to go digging those old parts up. I’m Armin, by the way. Armin Arlert.”

     The other boy considered Armin for a moment. Then he smiled. “You’re very philosophical, aren’t you, Armin?”

     Armin nodded, frowning slightly. “I think it’s why I keep getting into trouble with those guys,” he explained. “Because they’re not very deep thinkers themselves.”

     The dark-haired boy laughed at that, and it was a sound Armin hadn’t expected from him. It was strong and happy. But also tinted with something else, something dark, as if the laugh didn’t come out often, and when it did it relished the sunlight before being clamped back down again.

     “Well, Armin,” said the boy, rising to his feet. Armin stood with him. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Eren. Eren Jaeger.”

     Armin froze. Just for a split second as the name clicked in his mind and he was finally able to put the face to the story. He remembered hearing about the Jaeger family; the fire that had devastated a community, as it had taken away a beloved doctor. The fire that had left one victim unclaimed.

     Then Armin unfroze again, and he smiled up at Eren. “It’s nice to meet you, Eren. Do you go to school around here?”

     Eren shrugged. “I can’t afford to go to any of the nice schools in the city. I go to the public school in the suburbs.”

     “Do you live out there too?” Armin asked lightly, trying to sound innocent.

     But Eren was cautious, had been bred cautious in the world after the fire. He tensed. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. Then he regained control, cooling himself down. “No,” he said carefully. “I actually live in Maria, I just can’t afford the schools.”

     Armin nodded casually. “Oh, so you live in the city. Where? We could walk home together and—”

     “Actually, if you don’t mind, I have somewhere else to be,” Eren said quickly. “Sorry. It was real nice meeting you, but I . . . I gotta go.” He turned, then stopped. “See you around, maybe?”

     His voice was soft, pleading. Armin recognized desperation, hopeless hope. The desire for warmth and friendship. The desire for something he’d lost in a fire.

     Armin’s heart ached.

     He smiled. “Yeah, Eren. Maybe you’ll end up saving my ass again.”

     Eren arched an eyebrow. The he grinned, nodding. He turned again. “Well . . . See ya.”

     Then he was gone.

     The alley was silent for a long while.

     Then four boys rounded the corner.

     “Hey, bookworm,” the biggest one called. He rubbed his jaw, still sore from where Eren had punched it. “Your boyfriend gone now?”

     Armin frowned. “Very funny, Thomas.”

     Thomas grinned. “Well?” He held out his hand.

     Armin sighed. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of rolled up cash. He tossed the money to Thomas, who flicked his hand out and caught it easily. He grinned again. “Thanks, Armin. Pleasure doing business with you, as always. Anything else you need?”

     Armin shook his head. “No, you’ve done enough for now. I think we’ve found what we’re looking for.”

     Thomas raised his eyebrows. “You think he’s the one the captain wants?”

     “Oh, he definitely is,” said a voice from above.

     The five boys looked up as one. Sitting casually on the rail of a fire escape, with her legs hanging over into the alley’s open air, a girl looked down at them, absentmindedly playing with the ends of the soft scarf wrapped around her neck.

     “Hey, Mikasa!” one of the older boys called. “Why don’t you come down here and gimme that kiss you promised.”

     Mikasa’s eyes bore down into him, making him gulp in fear and swoon with affection at the same time.

     “Armin,” she said softly, letting her voice carry down between the brick walls. “He’s definitely the one we’ve been looking for. I’ll follow him home. You report back to the captain.”

     Armin nodded. “Got it, Mikasa.”

     Mikasa expertly flipped from the railing to the ladder, ascending like an acrobat and vaulting over the top to land on the roof, out of sight.

     “Wow,” murmured Thomas.

     Armin made a face at him. “You’ve seen it a million times before, Thomas.”

     “And it never gets old, buddy.” Thomas chuckled. He and his friends called out their goodbyes, leaving the alley. Armin waved them off, remaining for a moment.

     Then he, too, quietly made his way out of the alley.

******

     Eren shuffled his feet as he walked, watching the ground in front of him. He felt more than heard the honking of cars and the dull roar of people passing. Maria was a large city, and it came alive at just around noon, when people everywhere took their lunch break to amble about the city streets.

     Eren briefly considered going home to the foster care center, but then quickly dashed the thought.

     _Where do you live? We could walk home together . . ._

     Eren snorted. No, they couldn’t. He didn’t like people pitying him. He didn’t want it. If he was going to be so careless as to make friends in Maria, then he could never let them know he lived in an orphanage. He’d seen the pathetic faces of people who didn’t understand what he’d lost. It wasn’t like he’d never had a family. He knew exactly what he had lost, he knew exactly how much it hurt.

     And every day he focused that hurt into the indomitable mask he wore, a mask of emotionless anonymity. He didn’t want to be known, didn’t want to be recognized as “the Jaeger house fire kid.”

     Eren blew out a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut.

     Suddenly he bumped into something.

     “Hey, idiot, watch where you’re going!”

     Startled, Eren looked up.

     A very irritated, very wet face glared at him. It was a boy about Eren’s age, and he was holding a water bottle that Eren had clearly pushed right into him.

     “Sorry, man,” Eren muttered. “I wasn’t paying attention . . .”

     “Hmph, ass,” the other boy muttered, wiping his chin.

     Eren scowled. “Look there’s no need to get angry, alright? It’s just a little water.”

     “You moron,” the boy snarled. “I have been having the absolute worst day of my life, and now you come along and—”

     Eren punched him in the face.

     The kid went sprawling backwards, landing on his butt. There were startled gasps from the passersby, but no one really moved in to help. It looked like two kids just having it out. Nothing too serious.

     “What’s your problem, asshole?” the kid cried from on the ground.

     Eren ground his teeth. “I’m so sorry that I ruined your fucking ‘awful’ day, you little bitch. I guess I just don’t know what those are like. Oh! Wait, that’s right. I _do._ It’s called _every day of my life_.”

     The boy on the ground glared up at Eren, rubbing his jaw.

     Eren felt his knuckles throbbing. Two jaws in one day was gonna bruise them. He snorted and turned away, jamming his hands in his pockets. He stormed off, weaving in and out of people, trying to get away from that ass as quickly as possible.

     “Hey, kid!” he heard a voice shout faintly. He paused.

     “The name’s Jean Kirschtein, you little fucker. And your punch is weak!”

     Eren stopped. Something about the boy’s voice . . . It sounded challenging, honest. Not like a biting remark trying to get under Eren’s skin. And he’d said his name, which was an interesting invitation to Eren. What did this kid want?

     Eren turned. “Eren Jaeger,” he shouted back into the crowd, not even sure if the boy could still hear him, or was still there. “And I punched soft cuz I don’t like hitting animals, you big horse-face!”

     He almost thought he could hear a cackling laugh, but then it was swallowed up by the honking and roaring of the cars and the crowds.

******

     Mikasa followed Eren all the way home. She stayed in the shadows, practically moving like one herself. When she saw where he lived, her heart squeezed. She was not beyond emotion, though she acted like she was.

     Her mind began calculating, trying to figure out the best way to extricate Eren from the care center, when she suddenly had the perfect idea.

     It was an orphanage, after all.

******

     Eren hurriedly brushed his messy hair into a position that resembled something slightly less horrid than his usual bed-head look. He looked in the mirror to make sure his collar was straight, scrubbed his face with some water, then made his way downstairs.

     He’d been waiting all week for this meeting. Mr. Auruo had told him that there was someone who wanted to talk to him, a family.

     A family that might want to adopt him.

     Eren wasn’t sure what to feel. If he went to live with a new family, wasn’t he abandoning the memory of his parents? He’d only been put in the Trost Family Orphanage because neither his mother nor father had had any living relatives with whom he could have stayed. Eren had felt that as long as he was in Trost, he could tell himself that he still belonged to his mother and father. But now, what if this family wanted to adopt him?

     Would it really be that bad?

     A small part of Eren was extremely excited by the idea of having a family. He’d lost that and had thought he could never get it back. But what if he could now? What if this person he was meeting with liked him enough to take him home, act like a parent, show him kindness. Show him love.

     He hadn’t known love in a long time. He had no friends at the public school. People avoided him, and he avoided people. He wanted to change that when he got to high school. He wanted a fresh start. Maybe, just maybe, this was it.

     Eren rushed down the stairs and hurried to Mr. Auruo’s office. He knocked softly on the door.

     “Come in, Eren,” came Auruo’s smooth voice from the other side.

     Eren entered the room and froze immediately. A tall, powerful man stood before him. His eyes were like an eagle’s, proud and fierce. His body was a lion’s, poised and made to rule. His blonde hair was cut into a neat military style. His strong jaw was tensed, and his mouth was set in a perpetual frown.

     The man turned and glanced down at Eren, and Eren noticed with a jolt that the man’s right arm was missing.

     Nervously, Eren stood there under the heat of the man’s stare. He stared right back into the man’s unwavering eyes, trying to find the center of their infinite depth. They burned right through him, peering into his soul.

     Then the man nodded, and he turned to Auruo.

     “Yes, he’s the one. I’d like any paperwork to be sent to me immediately, and I will take Eren Jaeger with me now.”

     Auruo looked startled. “Mr. Smith, are you sure? You haven’t even talked with the boy, gotten to know him. You know what they say about problem children in foster care, going from one house to another. I want you to be sure before—”

     The large man knelt down in front of Eren. They were eye-to-eye.

     “Eren Jaeger,” he said. His voice was deep, and it made the floorboards tremble. Eren caught his breath. “Do you want to leave this place? Do you want to see what lies beyond the walls of safety here in the orphanage? Do you want to face tomorrow with your head held high?”

     Eren didn’t understand what the man was saying, but he understood what he meant. He nodded slowly.

     The man leaned in closer. “Do you want to know why your mother was killed in that fire?” he whispered.

     Eren’s eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt dizzy.

     What? What he just said?

     The man straightened again, turning to Auruo. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Auruo,” Mr. Smith said. “If Eren wishes to come with me, I’d like to take him now.”

     In a daze, Eren nodded. He followed Mr. Smith out of the office. Out in the hall, a girl was waiting for them. She twirled the ends of a scarf that was wrapped around her neck. She rose when Eren and the man left the office, bowing slightly to the man.

     Mr. Smith bowed his head back. “Mikasa,” he said. “This is your brother, Eren.”

     Mikasa inclined her head to Eren, who nodded back numbly.

     “Mikasa is another foster child I took in,” Mr. Smith explained. “Eren, she is your sister now.”

     Eren nodded again.

     “As for me, you may call me Erwin. I will be your caretaker from now on.”

     Eren swallowed.

     “Erwin,” he breathed. “What did you mean when you asked if I wanted to know why my mother was killed?”

     His voice was a whisper, but it still echoed off the walls and ceiling and floor of the hallway, echoed and reverberated off the very silence.

     Erwin nodded to Mikasa, who stepped forward, holding out a scrap of paper. Eren took it and stared down at the two words written on it.

     “Your father was in deep with something going on in a division of the government known only as SINA,” Erwin said softly. “I believe he was being targeted, and your mother and you were where his Achilles’ heel, as it were. The soft spot they could use to get to Grisha.”

     Eren’s head spun. SINA? Soft spots? What was going on? He didn’t know these people, he didn’t know any government connections. His father had been a neighborhood doctor, a man who made house calls. He hadn’t been the kind of person to be targeted for attack. Everyone had liked him.

     “I believe that your father had something to do with _this,”_ Erwin said, pointing down at the paper, at those two words. “And I believe that it was because of _this_ that your mother is dead.”

     Eren’s eyes blazed into the paper, burning the words into his mind, scorching them into his memory.

     _Project TITAN._


	2. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Eren/Armin in this chapter, though it's mainly Eren having the first inklings of "feelings" dun-dun-duuuun. A little more is discovered about the world our favorite shingekis live in. SINA becomes active (we'll see a lot more of it, don't you worry. Oh-ho-ho don't you worry...)

     A breeze blew past him, tickling his face and kissing his hair. A shiver ran up the back of his neck as he turned to watch the setting sun.

     “Jean?” Marco called from up ahead. “You okay?”

     Jean blinked. He smiled softly. He didn’t know why, but the face of that boy was still stuck in his mind. He looked around, almost expecting him to bump into him and practically knock him over again.

 _Eren Jaeger . . ._ Jean smirked. _That kid was an idiot. I wonder what he’s doing right now_.

     He turned to his friend Marco. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just lost in thought for a moment there.”

     Marco smiled sweetly, his eyes disappearing as his freckled cheeks rose and dimpled. “Well, try to find yourself again, Jean. I don’t want you to stay lost from me for too long.”

     Jean rolled his eyes, but he grinned and bumped his elbow playfully into his friend’s side. “You always say the weirdest things, Marco,” he teased.

     Marco giggled and ran ahead. “Come on, Jean! We’ll be late for school!”

     Jean grinned and laughed as well, the memory of Eren Jaeger slipping away quicker and quicker. After a week since then, he could hardly remember the boy’s face anyway.

     “Marco! Wait for me!”

 

******

     “Erwin,” Eren breathed. “What did you mean when you asked if I wanted to know why my mother was killed?”

     Erwin nodded to Mikasa, who stepped forward, holding out a scrap of paper.

     Eren took it and stared down at the two words written on it.

     “Your father was in deep with something going on in a division of the government known only as SINA,” Erwin said softly. “I believe he was being targeted, and your mother and you were where the Achilles’ heel, as it were. The soft spot they could use to get to Grisha.”

     Eren’s head spun. SINA? Soft spots? What was going on? He didn’t know these people, he didn’t know any government connections. His father had been a neighborhood doctor, a man who made house calls. He hadn’t been the kind of person to be targeted for attack. Everyone had liked him.

     “I believe that your father had something to do with _this_ ,” Erwin said, pointing down at the paper, at those two words. “And I believe that it was because of _this_ that your mother is dead.”

     Eren’s eyes blazed into the paper, burning the words into his mind, scorching them into his memory.

_Project TITAN._

 

 

**SIND SIE DAS ESSEN?**

**NIEN, WIR SIND DER J **Ä** EGER!**

 

Attack on T.I.T.A.N.

Episode 2: Family

 

     _Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

     Eren felt his heart, felt his pulse in his fingertips. They clutched at the paper, threatening to rip it apart. His eyes drank in those words, those two words that had taken his mother.

     What did they mean? How was this related to his mother's death? And what about his father? Did this mean he was still alive somewhere? Erwin had made it seem like that was the case . . .

     Eren looked up at Erwin. The man towered above, a wave of absolute calm rolling off him. And yet, Eren sensed that that was merely the exterior, that beneath the calm and the polite manners, there was a ferocious animal, a desire deep inside to destroy, to obliterate. Eren could see it in the man's steel-gray eyes when they looked at the paper, when they saw those words, when they sparked with anger.

     "Mr. Erwin," Eren said softly. "What do you want from me?"

     Erwin spread the palm of his hand flat in an open gesture. "Nothing, Eren. I merely want to hear what you want to do, now that you know that your mother's death wasn't an accident."

     Eren's eyes hardened, a light glinting in them.

     "If there's someone responsible for this, I want to find them."

     A violent, excited tremor ran through his hand, and he clenched the piece of paper, crushing it between his fingers.

     "And I want to kill them."

 

******

     "This is Shiganshina Manor, Eren," Erwin said as the sleek black car pulled into the long driveway. "Welcome home."

     Eren stared up in awe at the "house." It was a castle, complete with towers and turrets and little flags waving in the breeze. Even for being in the wealthier part of Maria, Shiganshina Manor was still impressive. Mightily impressive.

     "I will be your caretaker from now on, Eren," Erwin was saying. "I will provide the best education for you and your siblings. I never had children of my own, so I think it's only right that, since I'm . . . not as capable as I used to be . . ." He shifted, raising his left hand to rub the stump of his right shoulder. "It's only right that I should help the next generation be prepared for the world."

     Eren nodded gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

     Something flashed in the steel-gray eyes, then melted. "Eren, you don't need to call me 'sir,'" he said gruffly.

     Eren bowed his head meekly.

     Erwin cleared his throat. "Well, here we are. Your new home."

     The driver slowed the car, parking it right in front of a huge courtyard that led to the giant double-doors. The driver slipped out of the front seat and opened the doors for them. Erwin, Mikasa, and Eren stepped out, and Eren was able to appreciate just how magnificent his new home was.

     "Unfortunately, I am often called away for my work," Erwin said, watching Eren drink in the sight of where he'd be living. "The Manor is completely at your disposal; explore it, meet the staff. And you'll have your brother and sister to keep you company, of course."

     Eren frowned. "Brother? I thought Mikasa-"

     "Mikasa! Erwin!"

     A small, golden _someone_ flew past Eren and leapt towards Erwin, clinging to his jacket. Erwin clucked his tongue disapprovingly, but his eyes were definitely warmer. Mikasa smiled softly behind her scarf, reaching out to playfully ruffle the small person's long blonde hair

     "Hello, Armin," Erwin said. "This is Eren Jaeger. Your new brother."

     Armin turned to Eren. Both their eyes widened.

     "You?"

     "You!" Eren's mouth hung open. "I don't believe this! You were adopted by Mr. Erwin too?!"

     Armin smiled, beaming up at the man. "Yes, about a year ago. Mikasa was adopted two years ago." Mikasa swatted his arm, but Armin only grinned. "She doesn't like sharing her history," he said with a sly grin to Eren. "But she makes an exception for me." He beamed at her, and she just rolled her eyes. Armin turned back to Eren. "It _is_ weird to see you here. Almost eerily coincidental." He flashed a small smile. "But that's okay. Weirder things have happened, right?"

     Eren shook his head in disbelief. "I suppose so." He chuckled. "I'm glad to see you're okay, at least."

     Armin's mouth opened. Then he blushed and looked down at his shoes. "You too," he mumbled bashfully.

     Erwin cleared his throat. "Well, Eren, since it seems you've already met Armin at some point, that'll make your transition somewhat easier. Shall we all go inside, everyone?"

 

******

     That night, Armin brought Eren to his room.

     "An entire castle to ourselves, and we have to share a room?" Eren drawled.

     Armin's neck and ears turned red. "Well, I just thought you'd want to...er, that is, if you want there's a room down the-"

     "Amin," Eren interrupted. "You're a dope. Of course I want to sleep in here."

     The pink color crawling up Armin's neck flushed to his face. "O-okay." He smiled with relief.

     "I've never had a brother, you know," Eren said thoughtfully as he pulled on his pajamas.

     Armin hesitated. "Well . . ." He smiled hopefully at Eren. "Do you want one?"

     Eren studied his new foster brother, and remembered how helpless Armin had seemed in that alley. A sudden, burning desire to protect this boy in front of him swelled in his chest. He didn't know where it came from. He'd only just met Armin, and the alley had been a chance encounter. Yet when Eren looked down at the glowing, crystal blue eyes, he saw something in them that he hadn't felt in a long time.

     Hope.

     Eren shook his head, laughing softly. Armin was just like him, it seemed. He had hopes, dreams. He wanted to get out of this city too. And in that, Eren could relate to him. He wanted to protect Armin, protect those hopes and dreams he saw swirling in those bright blue eyes.

     Eren reached over and gently placed his hand on the top of Armin's head, surprising the other boy. Eren smiled down at Armin, feeling a warmth spread through him.

     "I think I do want a brother," he said thickly. "I just don't remember what it's like to have a family."

     Tears sprang into Armin's eyes. "Eren," he whispered through the lump in his throat. He lunged forward and pulled Eren into a tight, warm embrace. Eren immediately hugged back, and the two were suddenly sobbing together, crying for themselves, for each other, for their lost families, for all the pain they'd been through. They cried and cried and hugged and thought their hearts might break, until they felt the strength of the other's arms holding them up, supporting them, supporting each other.

     "Let us remind you," Armin whispered through his tears.

 

******

     "Right, you three," Erwin growled as he stormed down the huge sweeping staircase that led to the front hallway. "Who drew graffiti all over the picture of Levi in the library? I swear I'll kick all three of you out if you don't confess!"

     The sound of giggling came from behind a window curtain, followed by two audible smacks.

     "Ow! _Mikasa!"_

     "You didn't need to hit us!"

     "You two are being idiots. I had no choice."

     Erwin yanked the huge curtain back, making the three kids hiding behind it jump and scream. Erwin stared down at them with a hard expression.

     Eren and Armin looked up bashfully, unable to meet Erwin's eyes. Mikasa bowed her head to Erwin apologetically. "I'm sorry for them," she said softly. "They're stupid."

     "Who are you calling-"

     "Eren," Armin interrupted. "She's right. We were stupid." He turned to Erwin. "I'm very sorry. It was my fault."

     Erwin's intensely furrowed eyebrows shot up. "Armin, I'm surprised. I never would have expected this from you."

     Armin bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

     Eren looked back and forth between Armin and Erwin and immediately jumped between the two of them.

     "Mr. Erwin, don't be mad at Armin," he said fiercely. "It wasn't his fault. I made him do it with me. It's all _my_ fault."

     "Eren," Armin hissed. Eren shot him a look, as if to say _Shut up, I got this_. Armin pouted, but let it go.

     Erwin eyed Eren thoughtfully. Then he glanced at Mikasa. "Is that what happened?"

     "Yes," she said simply.

     Eren cringed. Ouch. No mercy from her.

     Erwin sighed. "Ah. Well, Eren, I'm not going to say I'm not disappointed." He grimaced. "But, you've only been here three weeks, so I'll . . . go easy on you." He said it like the very thought was alien to him.

     "Thank you, Mr. Erwin," Eren mumbled.

     Erwin sighed, then turned and climbed the stairs back up to the second floor.

     "Eren," said Armin. He reached up and touched Eren's sleeve gently, grabbing the cloth in his fingers. "You didn't have to take all the blame for that," he murmured.

     Eren turned and flashed a smile at his brother. "Yeah, but he let us off easy since I'm still new here, didn't he?"

     Mikasa's eyes widened. Then she grinned. "You clever little idiot," she teased.

     "You're a suicidal bastard, Eren," Armin breathed, grinning as well. "He really was gonna murder us too." He chuckled nervously.

     "So? Do you trust me now?" Eren asked.

     "Hm?" Armin glanced at Mikasa. "What do you mean?"

     Eren flashed that same, determined, confident smile. "Do you trust me to protect you always?"

     Armin started, confused. Then he smiled softly. Mikasa smiled behind her scarf, her cheeks flushing.

     It hadn't taken long, but both of them knew deep in their hearts that they could always trust Eren to be there for them. There was something about the new addition to their family that just radiated warmth and protection. And they both knew they wanted to stay near that warmth.

     "Yes, Eren," they said.

     He beamed, his heart swelling.

     So this was what it was like to have a family. He'd quite forgotten how good it felt.

 

******

     _That day, humanity was reminded of the power They held over the world. Humanity was reminded of Their wrath. Humanity was reminded of what it was like to be trapped, to be flightless birds in a cage. That day, the walls were resurrected, the Regions of the world separated again, as punishment for humanity's foolishness, for breaking the Rule._

 

******

_"Earlier today, government officials released statements confirming that SINA has become active again. Citizens are to remember that SINA is for the good of mankind, the saving grace of what is left of humanity. It has been one hundred years since SINA needed to interfere in human affairs; however, it seems that disillusioned zealots in the southern Regions have broken the great Rule, and committed the heinous and forbidden act of making war against another Region. SINA does not allow this, and has resurrected the walls once more. SINA leaves us this one message:_

_'Little humans, do not forget that SINA is all. SINA is everywhere._

_The walls are for your protection, children of SINA. Do not fear_

_them. Do not despise them. Be grateful for them. They keep out_

_the forbidden poison of war. Praise the walls, oh children of SINA._

_Give your hearts for mankind. For Glory. For SINA.'_

 

 

******

     Eren flopped down on his bed, exhausted. He draped his arm over his tired eyes; he couldn't wait for lights out. Unfortunately, Armin enjoyed keeping the lights on as late as possible to read (or until a servant came into the room and forced him to turn off the lights and go to sleep). And Eren just didn't want to deal with that-he needed sleep. Quick.

     There was a noise at the door, and Eren peeked out from under his arm. Armin entered the room with a bundle of books under one arm. Eren groaned and let himself slide down the side of the bed melodramatically. Armin glanced at him and smiled. "What?"

     "You're gonna read," Eren grumbled.

     "Yes, I am. I care about my intelligence, you see. So I read." Armin smiled slyly at Eren. "Some of us actually have brains, and we want to use them."

     Eren gave him a sidelong look. "You just insulted me," he noted. Armin nodded. Eren grunted, too tired to whip out any witty comeback.

     Eren watched Armin as he sat on his bed and spread the books around him. The curious, hungry light in his blue eyes had become familiar now. Eren recognized when he was ready to voraciously start gobbling up new information. Eren couldn't help but smile. It was incredibly cute of Armin to be so devoted to his studying of practically everything under the sun.

     Eren started.

     He took a deep breath, furrowing his brows. Armin hadn't noticed anything. Eren watched him closely. Watched the way his blonde hair fell around his ears and brushed his cheeks. They way his crystal eyes softened and sharpened with excitement as they scanned the pages. The way he reached up and licked his finger before turning the page.

     Eren turned away, feeling his face flush. He had to stop. This wasn't right. Armin was supposed to be his brother now. He had to stop this right away.

     "Eren, could you help me here?"

     Eren looked up.

     Armin was holding one book on a certain page, flipping through a different book, and trying to make a note of something, all at the same time. He looked quite flustered, like he'd forgotten how to function properly.

     Eren took a deep, steadying breath. "Sure."

     "Come here," Armin said, shifting on his bed. "Hold this page here while I make this note _here_ . . ."

     Very self-consciously, Eren slid onto the bed next to Armin and moved his hand over Armin's, taking its place on the page. Armin flipped through the second book much quicker, and finished his note. He quickly cross-referenced the note with the second book, then snapped the textbook shut. He smiled at Eren. "Thanks."

     Eren nodded coolly. "'Course. Uh, yeah, no problem."

     He kicked himself inwardly. That could have been smoother.

     Eren stayed on the bed right next to Armin while the blonde boy kept studying. Armin didn't complain or ask him to move, but just shifted so he could reach around Eren to get his books if he needed to. Eren watched intently as Armin studied. He tried to see for himself what it was that Armin was reading, but the words were typed in tiny letters, and he didn't have the concentration to focus long enough. Instead, he started humming to himself tunelessly.

     Armin paused, listening to Eren hum. Eren froze, blushing. "Sorry," he muttered. "Is that annoying you?"

     Armin glanced at him, smiling. "No, not really," he murmured. "It's just that you're making the whole bed shake." He giggled softly.

     Then he leaned his head against Eren's shoulder.

     Eren stared down at the golden pillow of hair resting on him. "A-Armin?"

     "Hm? Oh, sorry, just tired." He glanced up at Eren, the crystal blue eyes like stars of azure light. "Has anyone ever told you that your body is very warm?" he asked, his face incredibly serious.

     Eren just stared at him for a moment, completely silent.

     Then he laughed, grinning at Armin. "Did you just call me hot?"

     Armin's face flushed, and he buried it in Eren's shoulder. "Oh my god, Eren, you idiot. You don't think I would have found a more clever way of saying that?"

     "You didn't deny it though," Eren teased.

     "Well, no, I'm not going to, I mean . . ." He looked up at Eren, smiling softly. "You kind of are."

     Eren scoffed. "Oh, only 'kind of'? Thanks, Armin."

     Outside, he tried to play it cool. But inside, his stomach was doing flip-flops, butterflies exploding and squirming all through his gut. What was happening here? What was he feeling? What was Armin feeling? Was Armin feeling anything at all even? Or did this seem like a normal conversation for him?

     Armin pulled nearer to Eren, leaning completely against his chest now, snuggling close. He closed his eyes. "You really are warm," he whispered.

     Eren stared down at the smaller boy cuddled against him, not sure what to do. He settled on reaching up and gently, hesitantly, stroking his fingers through Armin's soft hair. Armin sighed.

     "Eren?" he said eventually.

     Eren tensed. "Yes?" His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "Yes?" he tried again.

     "What was it like? The orphanage you were in?"

     Eren's fingers stopped stroking. His eyes grew unfocused as he thought back to that place. "It wasn't all bad," he admitted. "I tolerated it. My biggest fear was forgetting . . . my mom and dad." His voice caught. "But I had this to remember them." He reached under his shirt and pulled out a small golden locket, inside of which was a tiny photo. There was a golden key too, on the same chain.

     Armin glanced at them. "Did you ever get lonely?" he asked.

     Eren looked down.

     "Yes."

     "I figured." Armin snuggled closer, wrapping his arms around Eren's stomach and hugging him tight. "I don't ever want you to be alone again, Eren."

     Eren felt every place Armin touched him like electricity. What was going on here? What was Armin doing? Why was Eren . . . _feeling_ this? Was he supposed to be feeling this? This warmth inside him? This tingling, excited feeling spreading throughout his entire body?

     The door suddenly opened, and Eren yelped, nearly throwing Armin off him. Armin glanced up lazily. "Hm? Oh, hey, Mikasa."

     Mikasa stared at the scene, Armin laying against Eren. She smiled and shook her head. "Papa wants to know what you boys want for supper. He's cooking tonight."

     Armin sat up excitedly. "Really? He's not having Mike do it? Yes!"

     Eren looked up, confused. "But Mike's a great cook. I like it when he makes dinner."

     Armin turned to him. "Yeah, but Erwin is almost never able to have dinner with us. You've seen how he locks himself in his study. If he's gotten a break from work, he'll be able to eat with us!" Armin's eyes shone.

     Eren stared at him, watching the light shimmer beautifully in the blue of his eyes. Then he smiled and nodded. "Right, that is special," he agreed softly.

     Armin turned back to Mikasa. "Tell Erwin he can make us whatever he wants!"

     She smiled again. "Alright, Armin." She paused at the door. "And stop flirting with Eren. You're making him uncomfortable."

     "Mikasa!"

     Her laughter could be heard down the hallway. Armin looked up at Eren sheepishly. "Forget her," he muttered, pulling away from Eren. "I wasn't flirting with you," he grumbled.

     "Oh, o-okay," Eren stuttered. He didn't think he would have minded if Armin had been.

     Armin chewed on his thumb absentmindedly. "Sorry if I got too close," he apologized. "I tend to be, er, clingy." His face flushed bright pink. "Erwin says I need to work on it."

     Eren shook his head. "No, it's . . . it's okay. It's fine." He smiled, trying to seem encouraging. Inside, his heart was fluttering. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

     Okay . . . Armin hadn't meant anything by moving so close to him. So what had happened to Eren just then? What had that feeling been that had sprung up in his stomach, his chest, every fiber of his being it seemed? He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He had to clear his head; he wasn't thinking straight. He felt hot and cold all at once. He got off the bed, standing and stretching his arms above his head. Maybe he could just walk around the Manor for a bit and sort things out . . .

     Suddenly, the door flew open again, making Eren and Armin jump. Erwin stood in the doorway, his face a frightening mask of calm, even though extreme panic rolled off him like tangible waves of fear.

     "Eren, Armin," he said quickly. "Grab anything you think you'll need. We're leaving right now."

     Armin slipped off the bed. "Erwin, what's wrong?" His voice was a whisper; he felt the fear in Erwin's presence.

     "They're back," Erwin said gravely. "The walls. After a hundred years, the walls are back."

 

******

     People in the streets pointed at the sky. Dogs barked and growled, their teeth bared. Birds flew the other way. Babies screamed. Adults cried, hands covering their mouths, as they realized the horror of what their children would have to endure.

     Around the world, in every Region, great walls descended from the sky, falling from the clouds. Translucent, tinted a sickly purple, the forcefield walls were endless, stretching into the heavens, above the clouds.

     Jean saw leaves stop moving in the trees as the wind died, suddenly cut off; he saw the sunlight dim. The pen in his hand slipped from his fingers, clattering to the floor. He and the other kids in his classroom stared out the window, their eyes shimmering with horrified tears. With a shaky voice, the teacher quickly ordered everyone to leave school immediately; moments later, the intercom buzzed and a school-wide announcement gave similar instructions. Jean fumbled to gather his things, unable to tear his gaze away from the wall of light that had fallen from the sky. The kids in the hallways jostled and pushed, everyone trying to get out as quickly as possible.

     Jean found Marco outside the school. Together, they stared up in disbelief.

     The walls were great and terrible. Beautiful and horrible. But above all, they were terrifying. They instilled fear in the hearts of all who looked upon them. They were cages, trapping them, creatures who were meant to be free. Now that the walls were raised, leaving Maria would be impossible. Leaving _any_ Region would be impossible.

     Marco reached up and tugged weakly at Jean's sleeve.

     "Hey," he whispered fearfully. "Jean. What does this mean?"

     Jean's eyes narrowed. He frowned, scowling up at the forcefields.

     "It means we have to join the Military, Marco," he replied gravely. "It means _th_ _ey're_ getting ready for another invasion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, this update has taken forever, but wow look at how many views the first chapter got!!! I'm so excited! For everyone who waited GOMENASAI GOMENASAI GOMENASAIIIII! Life is a @!^# that doesn't like to give me any time to write. So I decided to cut this chapter short and post it just to give you SOMETHING since you waited. Thanks for your patience!


	3. Recruits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite shingekis learn more about the walls and why SINA has activated them again after all this time. The only way to move through the walls, of course, is if you belong to the Military....

     Their car burst out through the front gates, racing down the road and back towards the center of Maria City. Erwin kept glancing at Shiganshina manor in his rearview mirror. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin clung to each other fearfully in the backseat, peering through the windows at the world outside.

     People on the streets were in a panic. Windows and doors in shops had been smashed opened as people began looting. Fights were breaking out. People screamed. Mostly everyone was running into the center of town, away from the mysterious walls that fell from the sky. Eren turned in his seat and stared up at them, trying to understand what the hell these things were.

     He'd never seen anything like them. They looked like walls made of light. He didn't know how that was possible, or what that meant they were actually made of, but he knew it scared him. These things weren't natural, whatever they were.

     "Mr. Erwin," he said, turning back around in his seat. "What . . . what are those things? Are those the walls you were talking about?"

     Erwin glanced in the mirror again. "Yes, Eren. Those are the walls. The walls of SINA."

     A chill ran up Eren's spine. He knew that word. "Didn't you say SINA had something to do with my dad?"

     Mikasa and Armin glanced at him, then looked forward to Erwin. Their adoptive father was silent for a while, focusing on trying to swerve through panicked traffic.

     "Your father was indeed connected to SINA," Erwin finally said. "But that's not our immediate concern right now; that's a puzzle for another time. Right now, our biggest problem-the _world's_ biggest problem-is the reason for why the walls have come back."

     "Come back?" Armin asked. "They've been here before?"

     Erwin nodded gravely. "About one hundred years ago, the walls were everywhere, separating all the main Regions of the world from one another. Their purpose is to eliminate war, something that SINA considers poisonous to the world." He grew still, his eyes lowering. "By the time the walls rose into the sky again, humanity's population had been decreased by thirty percent, leaving the world with nothing but three habitable Regions, the Three Kingdoms we have now."

     Mikasa frowned. "If the walls stopped war, and everyone was cut off by them, how did so many people die?"

     Erwin glanced at the three kids in his mirror. "SINA is merciless, and punished humanity for creating war. That's how."

     Eren's eyes went wide with shock. He felt bile rising in his throat. "You mean . . . _SINA killed everyone?!_ "

     Erwin nodded slowly. Armin and Mikasa blanched in revulsion.

     "Mr. Erwin," Eren said after a moment, his voice soft and thin. "What _is_ SINA?"

     Erwin drove on in silence. The chaos outside the car seemed to grow louder. The panic was reaching a climax.

     "I'll show you," Erwin finally said. "I will show you the secret of our world."

 

 

**SIND SIE DAS ESSEN?**

**NIEN, WIR SIND DER J **Ä** EGER!**

 

Attack on T.I.T.A.N.

Episode 3: Recruits

 

 

     Rex Vogel stared out the huge window that swooped up before him. He placed a steady hand against the cool stonework of the palace wall, leaning his head forward to touch the slick glass with his brow. He closed his eyes. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple, falling with an imperceptible _spat_ on the windowsill.

     This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not after so many years of peace.

     Rex watched a flock of geese flying overhead suddenly veer off course and turn away from the great barrier of purple light. Honking and squawking in protest, they climbed into the air and disappeared behind a cloud.

     "If only we, too, could ride the winds out over these wretched walls."

     Rex turned. Commander Pixis stood before him, straight-backed and saluting, the picture of respect. But Rex could see the wry turn of Pixis' mouth, the way his mustache twitched, the way his eyes flickered. Pixis was bristling under his salute, hackles raised like a feral cat backed into a corner.

     "You know that I regret seeing the reappearance of the Walls as much as you do, Pixis," Rex said, his deep voice booming and echoing in the alcoves throughout the great hall. "But if SINA has decided to send down the Walls, then who am I to argue?"

     Pixis grunted. "The monarch of the Three Kingdoms, to start with," he said sardonically, dropping his salute and moving to stand next to Rex at the window. "Your word is law; your will, our guiding light. Surely you won't bow to SINA like the rulers of the past?"

     "Careful, Pixis," Rex warned. "We will not betray SINA. Those of the past are gone. _I_ am king now. And I will cooperate with SINA as best I can, in the hopes of getting the walls back up faster than . . . the last time."

     Pixis glanced sidelong at his king, his bright eyes narrowed. "If people die, my king, it will be on your head, not mine."

     He saluted smartly and turned, marching away at a brisk pace.

     King Vogel looked back out the window, staring down at the Capitol below him. Already, the Military Police were in the streets trying to subdue crowds and in general keep the peace.

     "If people die, Pixis," Rex whispered, tracing a finger down the window pane. "Yes, it will be on my conscience. But it will be  _your_ head the people will demand. Of that, you and I are both well aware."

 

******

     Petra whipped around, staring in horror up at the bright lights dominating the skyline. "The Walls!" she gasped. "S-sir! The Walls!"

     The others turned to stare up at the horrifying sight. The men around Petra visibly shrank, like they were flowers wilting in the shade.

     "Sir," Petra said, moving past the others and stopping right behind the man at the front of the group. "Sir, we need to get back to the city. We'll be trapped Outside if we don't get back now."

     The man said nothing. He kept his back turned to them all as he stared out at the vast plain before them. His black hair waved in the soft breeze, but other than that he might have been a statue he was so still.

     "Sir," Petra began again.

     "Petra, enough," Erdo scolded her. He, too, stared at the man's back, waiting for him to move. "Just give the captain a moment."

     "We don't have a moment, Erdo," Petra replied hotly, turning on him. "Ever since Auruo finished his undercover work at the Trost place, we've been stuck wandering here in the Outside because of 'Military practice drills.' We all know that's bull, Erdo! They just want to keep the Corps divided. They want to get to Le-"

      _"Enough,_ Petra," Erdo growled. "Let it go. There's nothing to be done now. We just follow the orders we're given and trust the captai-"

     "They can't divide us, Petra."

     Everyone froze. As one, they turned and watched the man whose back was to them. He shifted slightly, glancing over his shoulder at them. His dark eyes pierced them through, stabbed into their hearts and made their pulses quicken. Those hooded, shifting eyes glared up at the Walls, then went back to sweeping across the endless plain. He held up his arm; clutched in his hand was a flare. He fired it off, sending a trail of green smoke rocketing into the sky.

     From various points across the plain, similar green flares shot into the air. More and more fired off, and Petra and the others could see just how many groups-just like theirs-were out on the plain. Further off, dozens more flares rose in response. Soon it was like seeing a forest of smoky green trees.

     The captain glanced over his shoulder at his team again. "They can't divide us," he said again. "See how united we are, even when we're nowhere near each other?" He pointed up at the flares going off across the plains. His dark eyes were like a snake's belly sliding over your hands: cold and scaly, dangerous, tense, ready to pounce, and filled with power. He clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Shitheads," he muttered. "Don't you trust me to make the right choice?"

     Petra and the others straightened, saluting quickly. "Of course, sir!" they cried in unison.

     The dark eyes glimmered, and the team thought they could see a faint smile on their captain's face.

     "Well," the captain said. "If SINA  _has_ returned, and sent down its damned Walls again, then the only choice we really can make is this: either we follow the orders from higher up and stay Outside, or we go back to make sure everyone is okay. There's a chance SINA finally went batshit crazy and killed everyone. And there's also a chance we'll find something mortally fatal out here. So between the two devils, I'll take the one I know. What about you guys?"

     "Wherever you go, sir, we'll follow!" Gunther said, stepping forward and saluting bravely.

     "Always so melodramatic, Gunther," Auruo sighed. "But of course, I agree. We'll follow you, sir."

     The dark eyes glimmered satisfactorily. "Hmph, good."

     Finally, the captain turned to face his team and glared fully at the Walls that covered the Region. His dark eyes narrowed, grimly appraising the Walls.

     Levi smirked, adjusting his signature cravat, and swept forward, his team filing in after him as they began trekking back towards Maria City.

     "Erwin better have things under control by the time we get back," Levi said wryly, making his team chuckle among themselves. "I don't want to end up having to clean up his crap after being away for so long."

 

****** 

     Eren watched the people of Maria through the dark back window as Erwin zipped past them in his car. The Military Police was already out on the streets, restraining people from rioting. Arrests were made; people were led away with their hands over their heads; and in the distance ahead, Eren could see a detour set up in the road. This was because a fire engine had been overturned, its front end crumpled like paper and fire leaking from underneath it. It was a horribly ironic and terrifying sight. Erwin cursed, yanking the steering wheel the other way and following the detour down the side road.

     "Papa," Mikasa mumbled, her mouth and nose hidden behind the scarf. "What's happening out there? Why are those men rounding everyone up?"

     Erwin glanced out his window, scowling at the Military Police in their uniforms. "That's the Military Police, Mikasa," he muttered darkly. "They've been sent out to 'take control' of the streets of Maria." He glanced up at the Wall that dominated the skyline. "It seems the Monarch has decided on a course of action after all," he murmured to himself.

     "Mr. Erwin, where are we going?" Eren asked nervously.

     "I'm taking you to the headquarters of the Survey Corps, Eren. Mikasa, Armin, you know what I mean by that?"

     Armin nodded reverently. "The Soldiers in the Survey Corps are the ones who go Outside, into the uninhabitable zones. They specialize in all kinds of skills, from fighting to research, that way they're prepared for whatever is out there in the dead zones..." He looked down at his hands. "A lot of them die, but they've never shared with the Three Kingdoms what's out there that could possibly kill so many of them."

     Eren stared at Armin. "They go...Outside?"

     Mikasa watched Eren carefully while Armin nodded. "That's right," Armin said, nodding, his blonde hair bobbing. "They've seen what lies beyond the Borders, what really exists in the Outside."

     Eren's eyes shone with reverent hope. "Whoa," he breathed. He clutched the back of Erwin's seat, leaning forward. "I want to be in the Survey Corps!"

     Erwin glanced at Eren in his rearview mirror. "No."

     Eren scowled. "But I want to go Outside. I want to see what's beyond the Three Kingdoms. You asked me if I wanted to see what was beyond the walls of safety in Trost Orphanage, but I want to see what's beyond  _these_  Walls too!"

     Erwin's nostrils flared. "Eren, learning the secret behind your father and why your home was destroyed is more important for-"

     "No it's not!"

     Erwin hesitated, his powerful brows rising in surprise. He looked into his mirror again. He could see Eren's face, darkened and downcast. His teeth were gritted and his eyes stared off into the distance.

     "My mother died five years ago, Mr. Erwin," Eren said softly. Mikasa and Armin barely breathed, focusing on Eren's every word. "As much as I want revenge on whoever started that fire, I need to worry about myself first. I don't have the strength to defeat them," he whispered. His hands tightened into fists. "Even if I wanted to beat them-and I do, I want to _kill_ whoever burned down my home and took my parents from me. But I just don't have the power to do that. But this Survey Corps, they sound like they have lots of strong people. People who've gone Outside  _must_ be strong. So I want to become one of them, so I can get strong too."

     Erwin was silent. Mikasa and Armin glanced at each other.

     "And then, when I'm strong enough," Eren said quietly. "I'll destroy SINA."

     Erwin didn't say anything for a long while. He kept driving in silence. Outside the car, the kids saw the scenery change. They were pulling away from the chaotic looting and the Military oppression. Now, they were coming to a less populated part of Maria City. What looked like a huge power plant loomed ahead of them, and they realized the road they were on was the huge driveway that led to the plant's main gates. Tall, scary-looking barbed wire fences separated them from the plant. As they pulled up to the guard box at the main gate, they could see the guard inside speak into a radio quickly, before opening the door to her box and walking over to the car. Erwin stopped the car so the woman could approach, and he turned around to face Eren, Mikasa, and Armin.

     "We have waited for you to say that, Eren, for a very long time," Erwin said softly. Eren's eyes widened. He looked at Mikasa and Armin in confusion, but they just nodded solemnly.

     "Wh-what do you mean 'you've waited'?" Eren asked nervously.

     Erwin turned to greet the guard. After a brief exchange, the guard saluted briskly. She spoke into her radio again, then waved Erwin through just as the gates squealed open. Erwin silently drove the car through the gates, staring straight ahead.

     "I mean that we've been waiting for you to join us for quite some time, Eren Jaeger," Erwin finally said. "The adoption was a cover to get you out of the government's system. You don't belong to them anymore. You belong with us. The Survey Corps."

     Eren's eyes couldn't get any wider. They boggled out of his head. His jaw dropped. "You mean you...you're..." He turned to Mikasa and Armin. "You guys..."

     "I  _am_ the Survey Corps, Eren," Erwin said calmly. "I am Erwin Smith, Third Commander of the Royal Army to His Majesty Rex Vogel, and Commander of the Survey Corps of the Three Kingdoms. And of course you can join the Corps. In fact, I've been waiting for that very request to come out of your mouth for five years. You and your adoptive siblings are recruits now. It's time to join the fight, Eren. It's time to learn the secret of our world. It's time for you to go Outside the Walls, and see what lies beyond."

 

******

     Jean scowled up at the huge building, then squinted down at the scrap of paper clutched between his fingers. He scratched his head, looking around. The power plant, or whatever this place was, certainly didn't  _look_ like a Military facility, but then you never could tell, really. Other people, most of them adults, though a few looked about Jean's age, were milling about outside the gate, waiting for it to open. Jean assumed these people were all here for the same thing he was: to join the Military Police. The Walls had come down yesterday afternoon. Now that they were down, the only ones who had any real power were the Police. They were protected by Rex Vogel, the Monarch of the Three Kingdoms. Only Military Police members, the Monarch's personal force, were allowed to move through the Kingdoms freely. Jean didn't know if that was still true now that these Walls were up, but he saw no other way. If he was going to escape Maria, it needed to be now.

     A nerve over his eye twitched, and he took a deep breath. He needed to relax. He'd be out soon. Away from all the pain. Away from the hurt that waited for him back in Maria.

     A hand grabbed his elbow, and he jumped.

     "Easy, Jean, it's just me."

     Jean relaxed at once. "Yo, Marco, you scared me! Where were you anyway?"

     Marco smiled, lines forming at the corners of his eyes. "I was trying to find out where the heck we are, because  _someone_ didn't think to look it up beforehand."

     Jean frowned. "My computer wasn't working, jackass," he muttered. "And besides, I know exactly where we are. The Maria...Resources and...and..."

     Marco grinned. "Yep, totally where we are." His smile disappeared. "It's interesting that you say that though. Mine wasn't working either."

     Jean grunted. "Your laptop?"

     Marco nodded. He looked up at the sky. "I don't think anyone's _anything_  is working at all anymore. Maybe it's because of those Walls that appeared yesterday. But my mobile phone isn't getting any service and it won't charge either. Pretty soon, its battery will die."

     Jean nodded gravely. "Yeah, I noticed that with mine too. It's like anything too advanced is shutting down. Landlines are still up, for now at least."

     Marco shrugged. "It's weird, whatever this is. Hopefully it won't last long."

     "It's probably just a Military thing, some kinda exercise maybe."

     "Maybe."

     Jean looked around at all the people. "I hope we can get in."

     "The gates will open soon," Marco said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "What did that guy who gave you the address say? Nine a.m.?"

     "I meant get into the Military."

     Marco's eyes softened. "Oh. Don't worry, Jean. I'm sure we'll get in, or at least you will. I might not make the cut. And then you'll be free of Maria." He smiled at his friend.

     Jena crossed his arms in a huff. "I'm only going if you make it in too, man," he grumbled.

     Marco laughed softly, and Jean finally broke into a grin. Marco's laugh was able to do that to him, to turn his sullen frowns into quick smiles.

     Suddenly, a bell of some kind clanged in the early morning air, and the people outside the gate quickly shook themselves up. They stretched, stood taller, the nervous buzz of chatter died away, and everyone watched the gates with wide, expectant eyes. Jean clutched the straps of his backpack, his knuckles whitening. Marco shuffled closer to him, putting a hand on his Jean's trembling shoulder.

     "Hey," he said. "It'll be okay."

     Jean's face angled towards the plant looming above them, and the dawning light of day through the purple Walls cast a shadow under his cheekbones. Marco saw Jean's eyes, and he pulled his hand away from his friend's shoulder, surprised.

     Jean was grinning.

     "Jean..." Marco watched him for a moment. Then he smiled, shaking his head and sighing. He looked up at the Military facility too, his eyes sweeping up its huge, blocky construction.

      _Excited, are you, Jean?_ Marco's eyes flashed a grin as they appraised the building before them. The gate squawked and rusted open, horribly grating. Everyone around them started moving forward, and it suddenly grew to a mad rush to get through the gates fastest. Jean and Marco jogged forward, then, caught up in the mob's frenzy, dashed to the gates of their new beginning. They could do this. These Walls wouldn't hold them in. They would find freedom in the Military.

      _Jean, I'm glad you're excited. I'm glad we're here together. Alone, I'd be terrified. But standing with you, I know I can take on these Walls!_

_Let's do this, Jean!_

 

******

     " ** _ALERT. ALERT. SINA ACTIVITY DETECTED NORTH OF MARIA. ALERT. ALERT SINA ACTIVITY DETECTED NORTH OF MARIA. ALERT._ _AL-"_** _  
_

    Eren covered his ears as he followed Erwin, Mikasa, and Armin across the huge, open first floor of the Military base. When they'd arrived last night, the three kids had been hurried into small rooms where they were supposed to sleep. Erwin had left them to check on operations of the base. He'd told Eren and his adoptive siblings that this was a secure Survey Corps base, that they would be safe here.

     This morning, Erwin had come to wake them, practically dragging them out of bed with a look of alarm in his stony features. That was when the alert had begun sounding. And it had. Not. Stopped. Not for the last thirty minutes.

     Eren rubbed his knuckles into his sleepy eyes. "Mr. Erwin, what does that mean, 'SINA activity?'"

     Erwin cast his eyes up to the ceiling, where a red light was flashing. "It means a Saint has appeared, north of Maria, probably attacking some small suburban towns before it moves on to the larger population here in the city."

     Eren started, his eyes fully awake now. "A Saint?"

     "You'll see soon enough, Eren. Hurry now."

     They raced across the large open floor. People were hurrying back and forth all over the place. Some of them carried clipboards with all sorts of notes sticking out, and talked into headsets. But most of them were outfitted in weird clothes, sturdy-looking brown jackets and leggings, with straps tied tight all around their waists and legs; some of them wore green cloaks too. The people in these strange clothes would rush over to anyone holding a clipboard and speak with them briefly. The clipboard people it seemed would direct the strapped-up people in a certain direction. Then the strapped people would go running off somewhere, but now with purpose.

     "Commander, sir!" a voice called, and Mike Zacharius, the chef from Shiganshina Manor, suddenly appeared at Erwin's side, falling in step with him. He was wearing the brown jacket and strapped pants, as well as the green cloak. "The Saint is about four kilometers outside the city limits. It's already destroyed seven suburbs, annihilated three ghettos, and is currently burning its way through its second slum. We have ten teams on the way, and Levi's team-"

     "Forget them, they're still Outside," Erwin said calmly, never breaking stride. "Levi will get back when he deems it safe to return. And if he can figure out a way to get through the Walls. For now, don't count on Levi's team to back you up on this, Mike. This is your operation."

     "Yes, sir," Mike said, pulling away from Erwin and the kids and saluting with the Military response. His hand over his heart. Erwin nodded in return, and kept walking.

     "Mike is a Soldier too?" Eren whispered to Armin. Armin shrugged, his nose wrinkling in confusion.

     Mikasa tapped Eren's head, making him turn to her. "He's been in the Manor as long as I can remember. He probably works really closely with Papa."

     Eren nodded, eyes wide. "That's cool as shit," he said solemnly.

     Mikasa smacked the back of his head. "Watch your language, idiot."

     Eren clutched his head, griping at Mikasa, while Armin laughed at the two of them.

     "Here we are, Eren, Mikasa, Armin," Erwin said suddenly, and he pulled up short. The three kids skidded to a halt right behind him, peering around his wide frame. They stood at a plain, unmarked door. They weren't really near the hustle and bustle in the middle of the room anymore; none of the cloaked Soldiers or clipboard people were around them.

     "What's this, Erwin?" Armin asked, narrowing his eyes at the door.

     Erwin turned to them. "This is where you will see what SINA is," he said in a grave voice. "You will learn what the Saints are, what the Interlopers are, the Nine, and the ArchAngel. The different forms of SINA." Erwin's eyebrows knotted together, and he swept his arm out to bang three times on the metal door.

     There was a click, a hiss of steam, and the door opened.

     "Eren Jaeger," Erwin said in his soft yet booming voice. "Mikasa Ackerman. Armin Arlert. Come with me into the belly of the Military, into the bowels of the Survey Corps. Learn what SINA is, what the Kingdoms hide from the world. Enter this place with me, and become Soldiers. Learn to fight SINA with the one thing we have to use against it...

 

     "T.I.T.A.N.!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> `\\_(*_*)_/` why do i bother with trying to update this? it's just causing me pain lol. I :) want :) to :) do :) nothing :) but :) write :) this :) fic :) BUT :) WORK AND SCHOOL :) ARE :) ANNOYING AF :):):):):)))))
> 
> serious note though, I've gotten 4.0 GPAs for both semesters of my first year of college and I'm so freaking happy, it's awesome, so I just had to spurt out this quick chapter i know i know it's too short, it's shit. but hey i just needed to put it out there cuz life is amazing how you can go from feeling like s#it to feeling like a cloud of lemonade and ice tea in two seconds like wow. Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you guys, since you're so awesome enough to be reading my piece of crud writing here ayyyy B)
> 
> "ah, the gaze" or is it, "ah, the gays"? the world may never know
> 
> well, i know lmaoooo
> 
> happy writing human is happy and gosh today was a good day, okay enough gushing, just thanks again so much everyone! kisses. goodnight. *bows*


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